30 December 2013

Hola,

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Well I made it through my mission Christmas and it was pretty great! It didn't feel like the same old Christmas but it was a fun day as a missionary. On Christmas Eve it was interesting to join someone else's dinner. Their tradition is Chinese food and most of their family was there so it was great. The evening was pretty simple just working on things at home. On Christmas Day I got to talk with my wonderful family. Oh what a special experience. I so appreciated that moment where we were all united at least for a little bit! It is so fun to think of us all around the US being with family and enjoying the Christmas season! Then we had our Christmas meal with the Branch President and his family.  I was wonderful to be in a home of righteous family and enjoy their love! In the evening we did sports . Kind of out of the ordinary, but it was so fun to play soccer after a long time!  It was a great end to mission Christmas.  Just think, next time I will be there [home]!

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On Thursday we started getting back to work. We had exchanges and I was with Sister Andreason. She serves in Rio Vista. She is a wonderful Sister and so funny too. It was great to spend time with her and to learn from her. She has been out just a little more than me, so it was fun. Then I had 2 facebook lessons which is great. I also picked up a new investigator in Chile, so we will see where that goes. The work is so different on facebook. A little bit slower, but also quicker too! I hope that the least I can do is plant that seed that may never have been planted. I taught Santa the investigator, and when I say I taught I mean that Sister Andreason doesn't speak spanish so it was all on me. Now I know even more strongly why we go two by two. With Santa we had already taught her the Plan of Salvation, but I could tell it really didn't make sense of how it applied to her - that she is one day going to have a resurrected body and that after the judgement she will have wanted to follow all those things God had asked her.  If not she wouldn't be able to be with her family, or in the presence of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I hope that she gets it because it makes such a difference with what we hope for and what we want everyday. It isn't just about being "saved" it is about staying saved! I love this investigator and I hope that I can continue to help her see the peace and the joy of it all! 

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Friday we exchanged back and did weekly planning. It was a little harder to focus after Christmas festivities but we got it done. On Saturday we did a fun activity with Marisol and her kids. We made scripture boxes. It was fun to so something that they would all like and was centered in putting Christ more into their lives, let alone their scripture box. Then we saw Martha which is always what she needs - just a little pick me up to help her stay strong. In the evening no one was home and so we just kept trying and trying different people and places and the night ended without much to show for it, but it was good.

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On Sunday I gave a talk! Usually I love giving talks but in spanish it is a little bit different. It still went really well and I was happy with it. It was on the power of personal revelation. I just loved sharing a mission story of how I never thought I would come on a mission but thanks to an inspired bishop I am here! Most of the time I can't believe it myself.  It is all worth it, even when it doesn't feel like it sometimes. We had a great night setting up an appointment with a potential and teaching a former investigator. It was all great to just see people have the start of interest, to know what we are all about and then to be able to invite them to know and partake of the joy.  It is just the best.

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I hope all of you know that we can all share the joy of this gospel everyday if we are courageous and faithful! I love you! I am so grateful for your influences in my life! Have a happy new year sharing the gospel!

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Los quiero,

Hermana Cornwall

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23 December 2013

The Clawson family emailed this photo to Sister Cornwall's parents of Sister Cornwall caroling , with the comment - "Thanks for sending us the most wonderful missionaries."

Hola,

Feliz Navidad! Ojala que todos de sus esperanzas para la navidad estan pasando! Oh what a wonderful season! Every time I just think of it, it makes me happy! It has been quite a week and I am excited to tell you all about it.

Monday was a typical day, but on Tuesday we taught Santa the investigator. She is awesome! She is facing life's problems and coming out on top. She is just battling. It is so amazing how people open up to us. They trust us because we are servants of Christ and the best part is that we can help them receive those answers that they need. We taught Martha a recent convert.  She has had a hard life and is still having a hard life.  She is just trying to use the gospel to help her.  She is great. Then we taught Gerardo and Maria after weeks of not teaching them. They have law-of-chastity and word-of-wisdom problems so it is a slow process. They are getting there. They are just so close to taking that big step.  The thing is to be realistic.  We have to take small steps to get there. I have found that that is the way with most people. Big changes are scary but when we just do them with the Lord's help and with faith it all works out!

On Wednesday we taught Santa, the recent convert.  That was wonderful. She really is going strong. We talked about priesthood and auxiliaries and by the end she was giving us marriage advice. Then we taught someone who I had never taught before. Since we are the only sister missionaries in Fairfield sometimes we have some investigators that don't actually attend our ward. Cynthia is one of these cases. She is a recent convert of the sisters, but in another ward. SO we went and taught her and she is just awesome. Through all of her problems and difficulties she is turning to prayer to help her out. It is great. Now that I think of it, everyone has problems. Some are bigger than others, but they can all be healed through Jesus Christ. Then came Juan and Tomasa. They are a fun couple that have been investigators for a while. They see the good of the church but aren't willing to commit. I know with time that they will want to walk by Faith! 

On Thursday, of course, we had our mission conference Christmas Party. Oh it was so wonderful! There were almost 280 missionaries there. We started with talks from President Alba, which was wonderful of course. To start her talk Sister Alba had us watch a Music video by Motab called What Shall We Give (LINK: http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2919740155001&cid=HPFR122013274&im=true). All of you should watch it. I just loved it. Since I am part of the technology end of the Church with our devices I am just amazed at the Church's technology department. Also lds.org is becoming a very up to date site. They are making it more user friendly.  There are more things to use and do. Also they are coming out with many videos about the Church to have a more modern spin on things! It is great! Anyway she asked what we would give this season. Then we had a little Christmas concert, which was great. The Alba's love their music and it is just wonderful for me at least, who love it too. We had the party. It was so wonderful to see my MTC Friends. Hermana Vance and Hermana LeMmon. I forgot my camera, so no pictures.  It was fun to be around them. They revealed our packages on the stage of our Christmas presents. [The mission requested that families send one present to the mission office that would be given out at this mission party.] It was jolly good Fun! We ate lunch together and had some fun activities and songs! It was so funny to relax and have it feel like Christmas for a while! Well, normal Christmas! Then we headed back to Fairfield from Santa Rosa with a lot of traffic.  We got home safe! We had a very calm night with English class and studies! It was a wonderful day. It just makes me so grateful to be in this mission at this time with all of these wonderful missionaries and leaders, I just love it! 

We taught Marisol.  Her kids were home for the Christmas break and so we taught them and they came to Church on Sunday! It was great! I love seeing progress right in front of my eyes. We planned and planned in order to finish up our week.  It was just wonderful! I am so grateful for the ups and downs of missionary work because it makes the success's that much better. 

On Saturday we prepared for the ward party almost all day long. It was crazy how much time it all took. Also as missionaries we made 2 huge pans of mashed potatoes which was quite an adventure.  They actually turned out pretty good if I do say so myself. It kind of took up most of our day.  It was fun to support the branch. 

On Sunday we, as missionaries, sang a song! It was fun to be part of the Christmas spirit. We had a singing sacrament meeting.  It was fun to just sing and sing and sing!  I taught Gospel Principles class again which was a little last minute.  It all works out. I am always amazed how I can a least make a little sense when I speak Spanish, let alone teach. 

I am so grateful for the work of the Lord in my life. It is so wonderful to just work with all types of people and be able to give them the same thing -- the gospel of Jesus Christ! I hope you remember that wonderful gift that you also can give all year round! Oh, the gospel is true! I find that more and more everyday! I also love the gospel because of it's ability to guide us while we live here on the earth. I don't know what I would have done without my mission. Already so far my life has been changed. I know so much more now then I ever would have learned before. I never thought I would be here, but now that I am here I can't imagine my life without it. What a joy it is to have the truth and knowledge to say I know that my Redeemer lives. He is Jesus Christ, the prince of peace and the one thing in our lives that always gives comfort and love. I know he suffered through all of my pains and afflictions so that I could one day return clean to our Heavenly Father and to have life with our families for the eternities. Thank you all for your testimonies and help that have gotten me here today. I am filled with so much love for each of you and I know that your lives will be prosperous and happy as long as you follow the Savior in all of your dealings! Have a very Merry Christmas!

los quiero,

Hermana Cornwall

16 December 2013

Hola,

This week we are having our mission conference/Christmas party in Santa Rosa so I am very excited! 

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Monday we had a sad last day in the mall with all of the regular missionaries that go there. Then we made plaques with Sister Toolson for a fun activity with the Elders. We did a little contacting and then buckled down to finish our weekly planning and we zoomed through it and got it done! 

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Tuesday we had a lesson with Marisol who is taking very baby steps so we will see what happens with her soon. Then we taught Santa our awesome investigator who is just open and willing to hear all we have to say. We made a baptismal date with her this week for January, so we will see. We did good old finding which just about fills up any of our empty time. We tried to have English class again, but it just didn't happen because people are not showing up.  We hope that sometime soon people will come! We taught Juan and Tomasa who are Former investigators. They are just wonderfully nice, but we don't know if they are willing to change their lives yet.  As I always say, we will see! 

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Wednesday we had wonderful transfers - always filled with many comings and goings. We taught Santa our recent convert and she is just going strong. She is just great to work with. We went to this street in our area that I had never been to before. It was off of Abernathy. It was a little area with some fields and vineyards and we went to one of the homes of field workers. It was so interesting to just end up at this little pocket of houses after passing some vineyards.  It was so interesting. They weren't there, but it was an adventure none the less. I finally have some facebook investigators. As of this week I have two and it is so weirdly awesome. I have high hopes for these people that I can help plant those seeds of faith that will help them get baptized. One of them lives in Mexico so it is just great. Then we had a Relief Society activity which was so fun just to spend time with the Hermanas of the ward.

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Then on Thursday we taught Deisy and Manuel who are kind of on the slow track.  It is still fun to help them out and help them to recognize the Spirit in order that they come to church. We taught Ricardo, a very, very less active, who is on the slow track also.  It is changing little by little. When I see all of this I realize that there is just so much work to do - with every single person that we meet. We are giving them the chance to be in the presence of our Heavenly Father one day.  I don't know about you all, but I sure don't want to not take an opportunity.  I do not want to mess up  So don't forget to give people that opportunity. 

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Friday was a day of meeting a LOT of new missionaries. Almost all of the companionships in the zone changed one way or another. I am finally starting to get use to the change that comes every 6 weeks.  It is still a process. We taught a lesson to Santa the investigator again. She told us that she just wants to know everything before she really decides to put everything in.  We are excited, because we know the gospel is true and it is answering all of her problems. 

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Saturday we had one of our Less-actives, Anallely tell us that she is coming back to church which is a huge step for her. She didn't actually come, but we know at least she has thought about it and is ready.  We just have to work extra hard to get her there  We taught Martha who is awesome, a recent convert, and just sucking in the gospel it is great. 

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Sunday we had a very funny ward council, which is usually abnormal. The clerk was just cracking jokes the whole time and it was fun to just laugh. Church was wonderful of course. Then we had dinner with the branch president and his cute kids. It made me miss all of my cute little nieces and nephews. Then we spent some time working to understand our area book app. more. It sure is weird to have to figure out technological things as a missionary but it is great. We had the Leaders meeting which was very different with 2 brand new zone leaders.   I know it will turn out great.

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Have a wonderful week preparing for Christmas. Remember the reason for the season and spend it being charitable to others, just as christ would. I hope that you all can feel the love and strength that comes from being firm in this gospel because it is the only way. The only correct way to get us back to Heavenly Father.

con carino,

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Hermana Cornwall

09 December 2013

Sister Cornwall's District

  Hola,
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Feliz Navidad! I am totally in Christmas spirit and I just love it! I love to see all the lights coming up and christmas trees on top of cars and it is all so lovely, But, boy has it been cold! I have had to scrape off my windshield almost every morning. I never thought I would have to do anything like that on my mission It was kind of fun to think, well I don't have a windshield scraper and pull out the old credit card to get it off! IT was also an amazing week here in the Fairfield Spanish West area of the world! We saw so many amazing miracles this week so I am excited to tell them all to you!
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So, on Monday we had our regular p-day activities and then when we went to proselyte.  At dinner we went to see a former [investigator] that we had found tracting.  We taught them a lesson and picked them up as investigators! It was an amazing start to the week. They have testimonies and know all the principles but it is just getting them to change and apply these thing that we really have to work on!

Elder Garrity - Best District Leader Ever

.Tuesday we had our last district meeting. Not only was it sad because it was the last one, but our wonderful district leader is going home and so that made it a lot worse. Elder Garity has been so kind and wonderful and I have learned so much, and trusted him so much because of all his experience and his application of it! He is an awesome missionary and hope to do good like he has done. The fun thing is that he is going to UVU so there is the chance that we could see eachother again! In the meeting we talked about sacrifice and what we are willing to sacrifice as missionaries. We also talked a lot about love being our focus in all that we do. At the end we said the things that we had learned thus far on our missions.  Then, we taught a recent convert. Santa O., different from santa the investigator. I have not taught her since I have been here, so it was good to get to know her a little more than just at church. We had some facebook training. Because our numbers were so low (we have to report lesson and numbers of investigators and things for Salt Lake) my companion and I received special training in order to improve. We both weren't really teaching anyone and so what they basically did was online tracted for us, meaning, just talked to as many random people as they could. It was great and actually really helpful.Then in the evening we taught investigator Santa with Hermana Diaz, a recent convert! It was awesome and truly having a member at a lesson completely changes it because now they have someone they can completely relate to and feel comfortable talking to more then just these young girls!  We tried to have our first english class, but no one showed up.
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On Wednesday we finally saw Deisy and Manuel again. We thought they were avoiding us, but their lives have just been super busy.  It is so nice to see them again. Also they Agreed to be MARRIED! They set the date for July, but at least they want to get married.  That makes a big difference! We are so excited to help them get there.
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Thursday we had a lesson with Marisol, she is slowly progressing and now we just need to get her to church. It is funny because with certain investigators there are lesson that give you so much hope and so you just want to keep teaching and teaching but then they don't have time for a few weeks and so you want to drop them but then you teach them again and it is a constant cycle of up and down and it so very interesting to be a part of it! Then we taught Graciela, a kind of less-active member who is great and so loving and good!  Hermana Hernandez taught a facebook lesson. We had english class, with no one showing up. Then we taught Ricardo who is another less-active that I have not met until this week. He really struggles with trusting in God so we just take baby steps with him to progress.
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Friday we taught Santa the investigator again. She is great! We are really hoping she just comes to church so she can progress that much more. She is great! She really opened up in this lesson and it was great to tell her that the gospel has all of the answers! Then it was the crazy day of getting the transfer doctrine, which all just puts us on edge waiting for all the information. As I said I am staying here in Fairfield with Hermana Hernandez and I am so happy! I love her and we work together well so I am excited.
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On Saturday Hermana Hernandez had a meeting in Santa Rosa, so I spent the day in Napa with Hermana Gonzalez from Woodland! It was so fun to be back together again. I must say that Napa might be the only city that I actually knew about before my mission that was in my mission. It is beautiful! With a beautiful downtown and wonderful people. First we had language study with a member which was fun! He was really trying to help everyone get the difference between spanish and english through translating sentences. It was great. We tracted and it was FREEZING, but fun! I always thought more people would let you in when it is cold, but they don't. It was fun to just be in a different area for a day! We came home late. We used a GPS and it took us on a windy mountain road that was a little scary, but we survived!
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We had stake conference on Sunday and we were all saying goodbye to the missionaries that were leaving. We went finding during the afternoon and did a little facebook. We had the last leader meeting of this transfer which was sad because because the 2 zone leaders are leaving.  I am excited to meet the new ones.
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SO change is a-coming but not too much!  Love you all and have a wonderful week. Stay warm and Share the gospel while doing it, oh and read Elder Ballard's talk from conference!
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Love ya,

Hermana Cornwall

Advent Calendar from "grandma & grandpa" Carlson

02 December 2013

Hola!

Well my favorite month of the year just began and the Christmas music is already being played, even if my companion isn't overjoyed about it! My goal this year is to put the Christ back in Christmas for myself, for my investigators, for members and most especially those people I meet on the street. So Merry CHRISTmas!

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It was a slower week this week as far as our number go, but it was still really fun! On Monday we had our Sisters p-day shopping in the mall - which was fun! It is nice to be around other Sisters since we are the only ones in Fairfield but it is especially good for them because they are the only missionaries for 20 miles in their area. Then we basically just had an evening of finding people. Tracting, talking to people on the street and just being out there. 

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On Tuesday we had a lovely district meeting with Elder Garity! He goes home in a week and it is so sad, but he is just giving out those last bits of wisdom. Then I went on exchanges to Rio Vista which was lovely once again! We did a little bit of facebook, which is always good. Then we had dinner with a family there which was very fun and crazy with lots of kids and family around but it just made it that much more exciting. We went to Isleton which is a small town outside of Rio Vista that is also in our mission. The fun part about it is that we have to cross the Sacramento river to get there.  That made it fun. We didn't have much success finding and teaching but it was an adventure. My cool story of the night was that we contacted this man who was really curious about our church and what we do, because he is on probabtion and has been in jail many times and so he really just wanted a fresh start and it was so wonderful to tell him that there is a plan for him and book that can change his life! It was great!

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Wednesday after studies and things we went to Walnut Grove, a town past Isleton. The funny thing was that on the way there I saw a sign that said 31 miles to Woodland and I almost took it, just as a joke, but I didn't of course. Then my awesome companion, the Sister Training Leader, is just taking care of all of the wonderful Sisters. She is so willing to help them out with all that she has so that they can grow and improve. She is just so good and such an example to me! Then we headed back.  We had dinner at home actually. We are now eating with Fairfield 3rd. Grandma and Grandpa Carlson are in that ward so now they will feed us on occasion too so that was fun. Then Hermana Hernandez had scheduled a Skype lesson, but they weren't there so that was a little sad. We decided to drop something off for Elder Fonseca and we arrived at the end of their exchange.  There were 3 sets of missionaries there and so we set our plans to play ultimate frisbee on Thanksgiving morning!

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We played Ultimate Frisbee Thanksgiving morning! It was so much fun. It was a little wet so I was slipping and sliding and muddy, but it was so so so so fun! Then we did our studies, with very sore bodies. We did a little facebook and then went to our turkey dinner at 2:00. We ate at the Coopers. They are a family in the Cordelia 1st ward. It was so fun because it was the two of them and their two daughters and us and so it was small but that made it good. The food was amazing with almost all the same dishes as home and so it was just great. Probably the most calm Thanksgiving dinner I have ever had but great. We played some games and were sent home with lots of food and it was just wonderful. We went visiting members with the Elders and there weren't many people home.  It was just a fun night!

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Friday was full of planning and corrleation meeting, with a little tension from our ward mission leader, but we are trying to work things out in order to all work together. 

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On Saturday we were trying to get our car fixed but it takes so long that we just don't have enough time so we are trying to schedule it in this next week. It is the battery. Just like the car I drove in Davis it is struggling again so we are going to get it checked out. In the evening we taught a mother. She really struggles being the only member of the church in her family.  By the end of the week she is just worn down. We really are glad we got to see her because she just needs someone to talk to and some spiritual upliftment!.

On Sunday we had our regular meetings with mighty hour of prayer, which is great and we went to dinner at the home of someone who works on the military base. I didn't realize until now, but there are quite a few people who work there that live here in Fairfield.  That is a fun addition to everything here.

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Oh boy it was a great week. This transfer has come and gone so fast and I have grown and learned so much. Oh a mission is great. Hardest thing I have ever done, but great. For any who need that push to be part of the work of salvation full-time or not. Take it from me! It is always worth it to share the gospel because that is what it is all about so keep it up! Well I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I encourage you to all read Elder Ballard's talk from this last conference! Until next week!

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Love you all,

Hermana Cornwall